Vocabulary

Verse 22

            רגל  verb (Piel participle mpl): “spy” (BDB,920)

            זונה  “harlot” (BDB, 275)

Syntax & Miscellaneous

• Concerning the lack of the definite article with שׁנים GKC states: “In apposition with any determinate substantive the cardinal number is used without the article, not only when it precedes the substantive…but also when it follows the substantive” (134k).
• The participle, הַֽמְרַגְּלִ֤ים, is functioning as an attributive adjective agreeing in gender, number and definiteness (see GKC, 35b for a note on the lack of dagesh in mem).
• The object clause (לִשְׁנַ֨יִם הָאֲנָשִׁ֜ים הַֽמְרַגְּלִ֤ים אֶת־הָאָ֙רֶץ֙) for the verb אמר is fronted.
• The combination of the preposition מִן and שָׁם is מִשָּׁ֤ם (the dagesh in the shin is the assimilated final nun of the preposition).
• The Niphal verb, נִשְׁבַּעְתֶּ֖ם, is passive.

Vocabulary

Verse 23

            רגל  verb: “spy” (BDB,920)

            אֵם  “mother”

            משׁפח  “family, clan”

            נוח  verb (Hiphil waw-consecutive imperfect 3mpl w/ 3mpl suffix): “rest”

Verse 24

            שׁרף  verb: “burn”

            נחשׁת  “copper”

            ברזל  “iron”

            אוצר  “treasury”

Verse 25

            זונה  “harlot” (BDB, 275)

            חיה  verb (Hiphil perfect 3ms): “give life”

            חבא  verb (Hiphil perfect 3fs): “hide” (BDB, 285)

            רגל  verb: “spy” (BDB, 920)

            יריחו  name: “Jericho”

Verse 26

            עֵת  “time”

            ארר  verb (Qal passive participle ms): “cursed”

            בכור  “firstborn”

            יסד  verb: “establish, found” (BDB, 413)

צעיר  “young” (BDB, 859)

נצב  verb: “set up”

דלת  “gates (of a city)”

Verse 27

            שׁמע  noun: “report” (BDB, 1035)

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 23

• The word, אִמָּ֤הּ, consists of the noun, אֵם, with the 3fs pronominal suffix.
• The designation of אַחֶ֨יהָ֙ probably refers to all Rahab’s siblings regardless of gender.
• The final asyndetic clause, הוֹצִ֑יאוּ וַיַּ֨נִּיח֔וּם מִח֖וּץ לְמַחֲנֵ֥ה יִשְׂרָאֵֽל, explicates the locality to where the family was brought.

Verse 24

• The second part of this verse beginning with the adverb רַק consists of a positive explanation as to what was saved from destruction.
• The compound object clause of נתן is fronted,הַכֶּ֣סֶף וְהַזָּהָ֗ב וּכְלֵ֤י הַנְּחֹ֙שֶׁת֙ וְהַבַּרְזֶ֔ל.

Verse 25

• Many commentators have noted that Rahab’s name is consistently appositional to a description of her occupation, רָחָ֣ב הַ֠זּוֹנָה.

Verse 26

• The final parallel clauses are בִּבְכֹר֣וֹ and וּבִצְעִיר֖וֹ meaning “with [the death of] his firstborn (or youngest).”
• The 3fs suffix is used to refer to Jericho, the city.  In Hebrew, cities have feminine gender.

Vocabulary

Verse 17

            חרם  “devoted thing, ban” (BDB, 356)

            רחב  name: “Rahab”

            זונה  “harlot” (BDB, 275)

            חבא  verb (Hiphil perfect 2fs): “hide” (BDB, 285)

Syntax & Miscellaneous

• The asyndetic clause, הִ֥יא וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֖הּ לַֽיהוָ֑ה, is explaining what it means to be put to חרם.
• In the first clause, the feminine singular pronoun, היא, is referring to the city, עיר; whereas in the second it is referring to Rahab, the prostitute.
• The final he of the verb הֶחְבְּאַ֔תָה is a paragogic he.

Vocabulary

Verse 18

            חרם  “devoted thing” (BDB, 356)

            חרם  verb (Hiphil imperfect 2mpl): “devote to destruction” (BDB, 355)      

            עכר  verb: “disturb, trouble” (BDB, 747)

Verse 19

            נחשׁת  “copper”

            ברזל  “iron”

            אוצר  “treasure”

Verse 20

            רוע  verb: “shout a war cry” (BDB, 929)

            תקע  verb: “blow [on trumpet]”

            תרועה  noun: “war cry” (BDB, 929)

            חומה  “wall”

            נגד  “in front of, opposite”

            לכד  verb: “seize, capture”

Verse 21

            חרם  verb: “devote to destruction” (BDB, 355) 

            שׁור  “cattle, ox”

            שֹה  “sheep” (BEB, 961)

            חמור  “donkey”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 18

• The final pronoun refers to the camp, מחנה.

Verse 19

• The fronted clause is replaced in the sentence by the pronoun הוא in the verbless clause, קֹ֥דֶשׁ ה֖וּא לַֽיהוָ֑ה.
• The final clause is explanative (notice the asyndeton). 

Verse 20

• The construction, ויהי כ, is used as a temporal marker: “And it happened when.”
• The final he, הָעִ֙ירָה֙, is a directive he.

Verse 21

• The idiom, לְפִי־חָֽרֶב “to the mouth of the sword,” means all were killed “with [the edge of] the sword.”

Vocabulary

Verse 12

            שׁכם  verb: “arise, rise”

Syntax & Miscellaneous

• The form, וַיִּשְׂא֥וּ, lacks a dagesh (assimilated nun) in the שֹ because of the addition of the 3mpl vocalic suffix and the reduction of the previous vowel to shewa.

Vocabulary

Verse 13

            שׁופר  noun: “horn”

            יובל  noun: “ram” (BDB, 385)

            הלוץ  noun: “warrior” (BDB, 323)

            תקע  verb: “blow”

            מאסף  verb: (Piel participle ms with definite article): “rear guard” (substantive)

Verse 14

            פַּ֣עַם אַחַ֔ת  idiom: “one time”

Verse 15

            שׁחר  noun: “dawn” (BDB, 1007)

            רק  adverb: “only, altogether”

Verse 16

            פעם  “occurrence”

            רוע  verb (Hiphil imperative mpl): “shout a war cry” (BDB, 929)

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 13

• This verse is discontinuous with the rest of the narrative providing supplemental information outside of the typical narrative framework.  This is marked by the use of x-v clauses (or non-verb clause initial, also called fronting of a non verb).
• The periphrastic verbal construction lacks the copula (נֹשְׂאִים֩).
• Qere: הָל֖וֹךְ.  The Kethib is a Qal infinitive absolute; whereas the Qere is a Qal participle.

Verse 14

• The narrative continues from verse 12 with a waw-consecutive imperfect.
• The phrase, בַּיּ֤וֹם הַשֵּׁנִי, functions adverbially—“on the next day [literally: ‘second day’].”

Verse 15

• The early morning is indicated by this idiom, כַּעֲל֣וֹת הַשַּׁ֔חַר (cf. 1 Samuel 9:26).

Vocabulary

Verse 6

            נון  name: “Nun (Joshua’s father)”

            שׁופר  “horn”

            יובל  noun: “ram” (BDB, 385)

Syntax & Miscellaneous

• First nun imperatives in the Qal stem lose the first root radical, שְׂא֖וּ (root: נשֹא).
• Parenthetically, the narrative inserts the clause: וְשִׁבְעָ֣ה כֹֽהֲנִ֗ים יִשְׂאוּ֙ שִׁבְעָ֤ה שֽׁוֹפְרוֹת֙ יוֹבְלִ֔ים לִפְנֵ֖י אֲר֥וֹן יְהוָֽה.

Vocabulary

Verse 7

            חלוץ  noun: “warrior” (BDB, 323)

            סבב  verb (Qal imperative mp): “go around, surround”

Verse 8

            שׁופר  “horn”

            יובל  noun: “ram” (BDB, 385)

            תקע  verb: “blow, give a blast”

Verse 9

            חלוץ  noun: “warrior” (BDB, 323)

            מְאַסֵּ֗ף  verb (Piel participle ms): “rear guard”

Verse 10

            רוע  verb (Hiphil imperfect 2mpl): “shout a war cry” (BDB, 929)

Verse 11

            נקף  verb: “go around” (BDB, 668)

            לון  verb (Hiphil waw-consecutive imperfect 3mpl): “spend the night, lodge”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 7

• Qere: וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙.  The Kethib says that they (priests) said; the Qere continues with Joshua as the subject (“He said”).

Verse 8

• The phrase, ַאֲרוֹן֙ בְּרִ֣ית יְהוָ֔ה, is a three-member construct phrase.
• The obedience of the people to God’s command is authenticated by the near exact repetition of verse four.

Verse 9

• Qere: תֹּקְעֵ֖י.  The Kethib is a finite verb; the Qere is a participle form in construct.
• The participle מְאַסֵּ֗ף is a substantive.
• The infinitive absolute can function as an adverb meaning “continually” (GKC 113u).

Verse 10

• The direct object of the first clause is fronted.  This sequence places the verb in the non-initial position functioning as an adversative “but.”
• The Hiphil of שׁמע is causative: “Do not let (your voice) be heard.”

Verse 11

• The asyndetic clause, הַקֵּ֖ף פַּ֣עַם אֶחָ֑ת, functions to explain the previous statement (epexegesis).
• The idiom, פַּ֣עַם אֶחָ֑ת, means “one time (occurrence).”

Vocabulary

Verse 1

            יריחו  name (of place): “Jericho”

            סגר  verb: “shut up”

Syntax & Miscellaneous

• The initial waw + non-verb construction breaks the narrative from the previous section.  This relationship can be marked by using a transition such as “now.”
• The sequencing of the participles with the same root (סגר) is translated in most English versions as intensive—“shut up tightly (or securely)”—similar to the infinitive absolute + finite verb construction.  That being said, this translation is faulty on several counts.  First, no other example of this sequencing with participles functioning periphrastically is found in the MT.  Second, the words are separated by a waw, which never occurs in the infinitive absolute + finite verb construction.  Third, even though the root and form are the same, the stems change (out of 440 occurrences of the infinitive absolute + finite verb construction, nearly all of them, eighty-seven percent, share the same stem).  Not only this, the meanings of the stems are different.  The Qal stem of סגר connotes the shutting or closing of a gate, whereas the Pual (passive) can mean the locking of a gate (cf. Jeremiah 13:19).  Thus, the suggested translation would be: “Now Jericho was shut up and locked” (The RSV gives a similar translation).
• This suggested translation (see note above) is further authenticated by the following epexegetical clause: “No one left and no one entered” corresponding to “shut up (keeping the inhabitants inside) and locked (keeping foreigners out).”

Vocabulary

Verse 2

            גִּבּוֹרֵ֖י הֶחָֽיִל  idiom: “mighty men, valiant warriors”

Verse 3

            סבב  verb: “surround”

            נקף  verb (Hiphil infinitive absolute): “go around” (BDB, 668)

            פעם  “occurrence”

            יָמִים  plural of יום

Verse 4

            שׁופר  “horn”

            יובל  noun: “ram” (BDB, 385)

            תקע  verb: “blow”

Verse 5

            משׁך  verb: “[hear] a loud sound” (BDB, 604)

            קרן  “horn”

            יובל  noun: “ram” (BDB, 385)

            רוע  verb (Hiphil imperfect 3mpl): “shout a war cry” (BDB, 929)

            תרועה  noun: “war cry” (BDB, 929)

            חומה  “wall”

            נגד  “straight”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 2

• The final mappiq, similar to a dagesh (GKC 14), distinguishes the noun, מַלְכָּהּ “her king,” from מַלְכָּה “queen.”  The 3fs pronominal suffix in the former refers to the city of Jericho (In Hebrew, cities are feminine).

Verse 3

• The phrase, פַּ֣עַם אֶחָ֑ת, means “one time” (cf. Joshua 6:11, 14, 10:42; 1 Samuel 26:8; Isaiah 66:8).

Verse 4

• Notice the difference between the cardinal number seven, שֶׁבַע, and the ordinal number seventh, שְׁבִיעִי.

Verse 5

• Qere: כְּשָׁמְעֲכֶם֙.
• The prepositional phrase, תַּחְתֶּ֔יהָ, functions as a reflexive, “inside itself” or “below itself.”

Vocabulary

Verse 13

            יריחו name: “Jericho”

            לנגד  “before (him)” (BDB, 617)

            שׁלף  verb (Qal passive participle fs): “draw out” (BDB, 1025)

Syntax & Miscellaneous

• The beth preposition is used as a temporal marker “when,” and Joshua is the subject of the infinitive, בִּֽהְי֣וֹת.
• Notice the interrogative he attached to the first word of the quotation, הֲלָ֥נוּ.
• The idiomatic expression, הֲלָ֥נוּ אַתָּ֖ה אִם־לְצָרֵֽינו, can be understood as “Are you with us or with our enemies?”

Vocabulary

Verse 14

            שֹר  noun: “chief, ruler, prince”

            השׁתחוה  verb (waw-consecutive imperfect 3mpl): “bow down, worship”

            דבר  verb (Piel participle ms): “speak”

Verse 15

            נשׁל  verb (Qal imperative ms): “draw out, remove” (BDB, 675)

            נעל  “sandal” (BDB, 653)

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 14

• The introduction, לֹ֗א כִּ֛י, can be understood as “no rather.”
• The three member construct phrase שַׂר־צְבָֽא־יְהוָ֖ה “chief of the army of the Lord” is in apposition to the 1cs pronoun.
• The final he of אַ֙רְצָה֙ is a directional he.

Verse 15

• The clause, קֹ֣דֶשׁ ה֑וּא, is a verbless clause of typology P-S; where the subject clause, הַמָּק֗וֹם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתָּ֛ה עֹמֵ֥ד עָלָ֖יו, is fronted.
• Notice the clear allusion to Moses’ vision of the Lord at Horeb (Exodus 3:5).

Vocabulary

Verse 9

            גלל  verb: “roll away” (BDB, 164)

            חרפה noun (construct fs): “reproach”

            גלגל  name: “Gilgal”

Syntax & Miscellaneous

• The article attached to the word for day, הַיּ֗וֹם, means “today.”
• When following a noun and agreeing in gender, number and definiteness, the third person pronoun functions as a demonstrative, “that place” (הַמָּק֤וֹם הַהוּא֙) or “this day” (הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה).

Vocabulary

Verse 10

            חנה verb: “camp”

            פסח  noun: “Passover” (BDB, 820)

            ערבה  “desert”

            יריחו  name: “Jericho”

Verse 11

            עבור  noun: “produce” (BDB, 721)

            מחרת  “morrow” (BDB, 564)

            פסח  “Passover” (BDB, 820)

            מצה  “unleavened bread”

            קלה  verb: “roast, parch” (BDB, 885)

            עצם  “same” (BDB, 783)

Verse 12

            מן  noun: “manna” (BDB, 557)

            מחרת  “morrow” (BDB, 564)

            עבור  noun: “produce” (BDB, 721)

            תבואה  noun: “produce” (BDB, 100)

            כנען  name: “Canaan”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 10

• Three beth prepositions are used for (1) designation of a day (בְּאַרְבָּעָה֩ עָשָׂ֨ר י֥וֹם לַחֹ֛דֶשׁ “on the fourteenth day of the month”), (2) a time (בָּעֶ֖רֶב “in the evening”) and (3) a location (בְּעַֽרְב֥וֹת יְרִיחֽוֹ “in the desert plain of Jericho”).

Verse 11

• The common idiom, בְּעֶ֖צֶם הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה, means “in that very same (self-same) day.”

Verse 12

• The beth preposition marks a temporal clause “when,” and pronominal suffix denotes the subject of the infinitive construct, בְּאָכְלָם֙.

Vocabulary

Verse 2

            עת  noun (fs with beth preposition): “time”

            צר  noun: “flint (knives)” (BDB, 866)

            מול  verb (Qal imperative ms): “circumcise” (BDB, 557)

            שׁנית  ordinal number: “secondly, second (time)”

Syntax & Miscellaneous

• Hebrew attributive adjectives must agree in gender, number and definiteness.  Thus, the demonstrative, הַהִ֗יא “that,” is feminine singular with the definite article to agree with the object of the preposition בָּעֵ֣ת.
• For the uninflected third he (III-ה) forms, the verbal endings are regular regardless of stem:  qames he (perfect עָשָֹה), segol he (imperfect יִעֲשֶֹה & cohortative אֶעֲשֶֹה & active participle עֹשֶֹה), sere he (imperative עֲשֵׂה), holem-waw taw (infinitive עֲשֹות) and “zero” ending (jussive יֵעָשֹ).  For vocalic suffixes, the final he is replaced by the ending (occasionally, replaced by original third yod, י).  With consonantal suffixes, the final he (III-ה) is replaced with sere, hireq or segol and a quiescent original third yod (III-י) with.
• A verb sequenced with שׁוּב should be understood as repetitious; therefore, שׁ֛וּב מֹ֥ל means “circumcise again” (GKC 120g).  This verbal coordination is very common with command forms.

Vocabulary

Verse 3

            צר  noun: “flint” (BDB, 866)

            מול  verb: “circumcise” (BDB, 557)

            גבלה  “hill”

            ערלה  noun: “foreskin” (BDB, 790)

Verse 4

            מול  verb: “circumcise” (BDB, 557)

            מצרים  name: “Egypt”

Verse 5

            מול  verb (Qal passive participle mpl): “circumcise” (BDB, 557)

            ילוד  noun: “born” (BDB, 409)

Verse 6

            ארבעים  number: “forty”

            תמם  verb: “finish, complete”

            בלתי  negative used with oaths/swearing: “surely not”

            זוב  verb (Qal participle ms): “flow” (BDB, 264)

            חלב  “milk” (BDB, 316)

            דבשׁ  “honey”

Verse 7

            מול  verb: “circumcise” (BDB, 557)

            ערל  noun: “uncircumcised” (BDB, 790)

Verse 8

            מול  verb: “circumcise” (BDB, 557)

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 3

• In the genre of Hebrew narrative, commands of God are repeated to demonstrate obedience.
• The final construct phrase, גִּבְעַ֖ת הָעֲרָלֽוֹת, could be considered a place name and thus transliterated as such, “Gibeath-Haaraloth.”

Verse 4

• Clause initial waw plus non-verb indicates a disjunctive sequence, in this case a parenthetical comment (explaining why the men needed to be circumcised).
• The verbless clause, וְזֶ֥ה הַדָּבָ֖ר, has the typology of S-P.
• The noun דבר has a wide semantic domain from “word” and “deed” to “matter” and “reason.”
• The word, הַיֹּצֵא֩, is a substantive participle.
• The beth preposition attached to the infinitive, בְּצֵאתָ֖ם, marks a temporal clause, i.e. “when/after.”

Verse 5

• The first clause, מֻלִ֣ים הָי֔וּ כָּל־הָעָ֖ם הַיֹּֽצְאִ֑ים, has the typology P-S.
• Notice the supra-clause level chiasm: P-S (clause 1); S-P (clause 2).

Verse 6

• Be careful to connect each relative clause.
• An infinitive can take a different subject than that of the finite verb.  One way to mark the new subject is to use a pronominal suffix— הַרְאוֹתָ֣ם “They will (not) see.”

Verse 7

• The clause, הֵקִ֣ים תַּחְתָּ֔ם אֹתָ֖ם, is an asyndetic relative clause (i.e. a relative clause without an explicit relative particle/marker, אשׁר).
• The broader matrix sentence with a fronted direct object clause is וְאֶת־בְּנֵיהֶם֙ מָ֣ל יְהוֹשֻׁ֑עַ “Their children, Joshua circumcised.”
• This clause is followed by two explanative clauses marked by כי:  Joshua circumcised them because עֲרֵלִ֣ים הָי֔וּ “They were uncircumcised” for לֹא־מָ֥לוּ אוֹתָ֖ם בַּדָּֽרֶךְ “They (i.e. their parents) did not circumcise them (i.e. the present generation) along the way.”

Verse 8

• The infinitive, חיה, denotes “healing (from the circumcision).”

Vocabulary

Verse 1

            האמרי  name: “Amorites”

        עבר  “beyond”

            כנעני  name: “Canaanites”

            יבשׁ  verb (Hiphil perfect 3ms): “dried up”

נמס  verb (Niphal waw-consecutive imperfect 3ms): “grow fearful, melt” (BDB, 587)

Syntax & Miscellaneous

• The formula ויהי כ is temporal “and it happened when.”
• The compass direction ימה “to the sea” is the “west.”
• The direct object marker, את אשׁר, marks the object clause.
• The word, מפני, marks the idiomatic phrase “before the face of” or “before.”
• Qere: עָבְרָ֑ם.  The difference is between pronominal suffixes, Kethib witnesses 1cpl while Qere is 3mpl.  Since the pronominal suffix is attached to an infinitive it is serving as the subject of the verbal idea.

Vocabulary

Verse 21

            מחר  “in time to come”

Syntax & Miscellaneous

• The relative marker, אשׁר, is functioning as a temporal interrogative, “when?”
• The last clause is a verbless clause.
• The demonstrative, האלה, is in attributive position.

Vocabulary

Verse 22

            יבשׁה  “dry ground” (BDB, 387)

Verse 23

            יבשׁ  verb: “dry up”

            סוף  “reeds ”

Verse 24

            חזק  adjective: “strong, mighty”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 22

• The Hiphil of ידע means to “declare.”
• The use of the demonstrative with the name Jordan occurs several times in the MT (Genesis 32:11; Deuteronomy 3:27; 31:2; Joshua 1:2, 11).

Verse 23

• The relative marker, אשׁר, is used as a conjunction or explanative.

Verse 24

• The adjective, חזקה, is a predicative, thus the clause is verbless.